"Cupcake Wars" pits bakers from across the country against each other in challenges to avoid elimination. The winner of a head-to-head finale competes for a grand prize of $10,000 and the chance to showcase cupcakes at a premiere event.

The shows producers contacted The Cakabakery owner Jason Kakabaker in July of last year.

“I thought I was being ‘punk’d’ by Ashton Kutcher," Kakabaker said.

His vegan cupcake had recently received an award from The Tender Pallette’s blog, which caught the Food Network's attention. Kakabaker said about 20 percent of the custom orders he receives are for gluten free or vegan products.

After submitting a 5-minute audition tape filled with “props and lots of treats,” Kakabaker was selected for the show and flown to California for filming in November. It required a full day of taping on set and a half day of interviews.

“You have to buy your own ingredients,” said Kakabaker. “It is crazy expensive. They don’t have a Meijer out there. But what your business receives in exposure offsets any of that cost.”

Kakabaker took along his assistant and “right-hand woman” Michelle Baker (can you believe these names?).

The theme of Sunday's episode is "Space" and the grand prize winner serves cupcakes at the Space Shuttle Endeavour's induction ceremony into the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

“We themed some of our flavors around flight,” Kakabaker said. “Cape Canaveral is in Florida so we wanted something with citrus and we used a chocolate merlot flavor to represent congratulations for a successful return home to Earth.”